Songs and Intervals

Hi all,

I guess that I should introduce myself, since this is my 1st post in this site/location.

I used to post, occasionally, in the old site, before moving here. But anyway, I'm an adult pianist. Began my 1st lesson, which was a group keyboard course, Oct 3rd, 97. Yes, I celebrate my music anniversary. Now I'm at the intermediate level, and have made the decision to learn as much as I can for 10 years in total, then I might take it slow. I'm working on my Grade 6 piano, according to Canadian standards, and already finished theory, Harmony 3 and 4. Next year, I should be studying History, which is not my favorite subject, but it should be a step closer to counterpoint, which I'm hoping to learn.

Now, for the main motive for posting.

I'm sort of on a mission to find familiar songs or tunes that include a +7 above, +7 below, -7 below, and P8 below. I hope that you can help me.

Here is what I found so far,

Unison
Bye Bye Blackbird ^

+2 A (Above)
2nd and 3rd notes of Happy Birthday
Lon/don Bridge

+2 B (Below)
Mem’ries, Barbara Streisand
Ma/ry Had a Little Lamb

-2 A
Jaws Theme
Scheherazade *

-2 B
First two notes of Fur Elise**
Beer Barrel Polka ^

+3 A
I could have danced all night
Ku/mbaya *

+3 B
First two “rings” of Big Ben’s**
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony 3rd amd 4th notes Dit-dit-dit-dah
First two notes of Swing low, sweet Chariot
Sum/mer Time ^

-3 A
O’ Canada**
First two notes of Greensleeves

-3 B
Nyah Nyah**
This Old Man *
You can feel it all over, Steve Wonder

P4 A
Here Comes The Bride
Mexican Hat Dance

P4 B
Down Town (Petola Clark) *
3rd and 4th notes of Old Macdo/nald ^

Dim 5/Aug 4th A
Mariah, West Side Story

Dim 5/Aug 4th B
3rd and 4th notes of “It Ain’t Necessarily So” ^

P5 A
2nd and 3rd notes of Twinkle Twinkle *

P5 B
Feel/ings *

+6 A
My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean

+6 B
No Body Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen
Music of the Night ^

-6 A
“To Life,” Fiddler on the roof**
A Day in the Life of a Fool**

-6 B
Love Story, “Where Do I Begin”

+7 A
~ Still in Search

+7 B
~

-7 A
There’s a Place For Us, West Side Story

-7 B
~

P8 A
Some Where Over the Rainbow

P8 B
~

Resources
Classical Music For Dummies
Piano For Dummies (One *)
Musicians & Teachers (Two **) http://www.dolphindon.com/demo.html (^)

Thanks!

Mona

Mona:

Your missing ones are hard to fill in, but I'll be thinking about them and will let you know if I come up with something. Faster minds than mine, however, may beat me to the punch. Seems doubtful to me that there's a well-known song that starts with a perfect octave drop, though. As for the 7ths, we should eventually be able to come up with something.

Regards,

Mona:

I know this won't help much, but at the beginning of the bridge passage in "The Heather on the Hill" from Brigadoon[/b]there is a drop of a minor 7th from a C# (or its enharmonic, Db) to Eb, and in the reprise from D to E, in the line "...there may be other springs as full and fair," on the syllables "springs as" the minor 7th drop occurs.

Don't know why I'm hung up on Brigadoon [/b] but this might be easier, also for the drop of a minor 7th. On the third to last and second to last notes of "Come to Me, Bend to Me" there is also a drop of a minor 7th, from G to A in the line "don't take them away" on the syllables "them a-"

If you sing the first and third notes of "Bali Ha'i" from South Pacific[/b], you'll have an major 7th up, and the first and second notes, of course, give you an octave just as in "Over the Rainbow."

Of course, if you don't know the songs, that's not much help is it? I know you're looking for the first two notes rather than a pick-up in the middle of a number. I'll keep working on it. You've intrigued me...

Regards, or should I say "Curses!"

P.S. Sorry for all the "edits"; I keep having to correct stupid mistakes! (Duh!)


[ August 17, 2001: Message edited by: BruceD ]

[ August 17, 2001: Message edited by: BruceD ]

[ August 17, 2001: Message edited by: BruceD ]

Mona:

As I walk around the house singing those remaining intervals, I hope that they will point me to the opening notes of a song.

Well, here's another: From
Broadway Melody 1936[/b] the song "You Are My Lucky Star" by N. H. Brown starts with an octave drop. As a matter of fact, there are eight (8 - count 'em) octave drops in this song; so the real 'shtick' of this song is the octave drop!

Now, let's see, what's next ... ?

[ August 17, 2001: Message edited by: BruceD ]

Bruce, Thank you very much for your efforts. 3rd and 4th notes of a song is not bad either, as long as it is a well-known song. I'm also planning on checking out our public library for children's songs bookscore, and maybe I'll find something. I'll let you know.



Mona

Mona:

Let's keep in touch as we keep working on this!

Regards,

Everyone:

Just a word to those of you who, not familiar with the examinations of the RCM, may wonder what Mona is asking about.

A portion of each (grade) piano examination is devoted to "Ear Tests." One of those tests requires that "...the candidate will be required to sing or hum any of the following intervals after the first note has been played ONCE by the examiner."

The intervals both above and below the given note become more "difficult" the higher the grade. By the time one reaches the grade 10 examination, the candidate has to be able to sing any interval within an octave above or below a note played by the examiner. A helpful technique, as you may have gathered, is to have in one's mind a list of songs which start with these various intervals. Some are not as easy as you may think; try playing a note on the piano and then singing an augmented fourth above it, or a minor sixth below it. Nor is it easy, either, in finding the appropriate songs and then remembering which intervals go with which songs.

There is, fortunately, an alternative to this part of the "Ear Test" which some candidates may find a little less daunting:

"OR to name any of the following intervals after each has been played ONCE in broken form by the examiner."

Regards,

[ August 18, 2001: Message edited by: BruceD ]

Hi Bruce,

Someone found a few other songs that are useful. And since you seemed interested, I'm posting the link to a thread in another site. I hope it works!
http://www.pianoteaching.com/cgibin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=19&t=000010

My teacher suggested the theme from Superman as an example of a major 7th interval. Where it goes: dun-dun-dun-duuuuuuuuuuuun-dun, dun-dun-dun-duuuuuuuuuuuuun-dun....Does that sound right?

Hi Rick,

I'm sorry, I don't remember the Superman theme. But from what I gathered, it does have a major 7th above.

The one that I know, and I actually found it myself today is 1st and 3rd notes of Somewhere over the Rainbow. (Some..OV) It's exactly how Bali Hai works, except that I hated Bali Hai, when I listened to it. (for the purpose of finding +7, I borrowed South Pacific from the library!)

So I hope this helps!

Mona

Nope! Don't recognize it.

Mona: I love "Bali Hai"!

Cheers!

Rick: Nope! Don't recognize it.

Mona: I love "Bali Ha'i"! Mind you, if you borrowed the recent version of South Pacific[/b] with Te Kanawa, Carreras and Sarah Vaughan as Bloody Mary, all I can say is no wonder you don't like "Bali Ha'i." It was never meant - in my opinion - to be sung as a jazz/blues number. For me, Sarah Vaughan ruins this number.

Cheers!

[ September 18, 2001: Message edited by: BruceD ]

[ September 18, 2001: Message edited by: BruceD ]

Bruce,

I saw the original movie, but it just wasn't my kind of movie. And the Bali Hai seemed like a hypnotic song and a bit spooky, as if casting a spell! The melody stayed with me for awhile, even though I was tired of it. That kind of music which haunts me against my will is not my favorite. But when i do like a song, I welcome its persistence in my mind.

It's okay to have different tastes. We're still sharing the same journey.

Mona